Please note, our archived questions are abbreviated and don't include this information. To see a sample answer click here.

General Health Questions

Deficiency of antibody to Hib (Haemophilus influenzae b) causing repeat URTI'S or IgG3?? Background: Hello. I have been getting repeated viral infections and chronic 'flu like symptoms' for a long time now, primarily causing URTI's, fevers, sneezing, exhaustion and two bouts of uvulitis. I recently had some blood tests results back to see what was going on. One showed I had some deficiency of 'antibody to Hib' (Haemophilus influenzae b). The lab report suggested I have a booster shot and am re-tested in 4-6 weeks and if the result is still low I should see an immunologist. I also had some increase in 'Immunoglobulin A' (IgA) on the same test report. Unfortunately the last test ordered (Lymphocyte Subsets) was not done due to a mess up with the blood tubes. Question: My question is this please. Am I correct in thinking that a reduced HIB antibody isn't common in 'healthy adults', and therefore does this recent blood test result (alongside the IgA elevation) possibly explain WHY I am getting repeat viral infections? If it helps to answer, I have previous evidence of significant 'IgG4 subclass' elevation (twice reference range 'high' level) and approaching borderline low 'IGg3 subclass'. I basically wondered if it was my IgG3 [[just 3% off an actual 'deficient' reference range]] that is probably making me get repeat viral infections. Or, instead this 'HIB antibody' that's reduced which I think is protection against 'Flu' and not other viruses that also presumably cause URTI's. Many thanks again for any help. All the best, *****.

Deficiency of antibody to Hib (Haemophilus influenzae b) causing repeat URTI'S or IgG3?? Background: Hello. I have been getting repeated viral infections and chronic 'flu like symptoms' for a long time now, primarily causing URTI's, fevers, sneezing, exhaustion and two bouts of uvulitis. I recently had some blood tests results back to see what was going on. One showed I had some deficiency of 'antibody to Hib' (Haemophilus influenzae b). The lab report suggested I have a booster shot and am re-tested in 4-6 weeks and if the result is still low I should see an immunologist. I also had some increase in 'Immunoglobulin A' (IgA) on the same test report. Unfortunately the last test ordered (Lymphocyte Subsets) was not done due to a mess up with the blood tubes. Question: My question is this please. Am I correct in thinking that a reduced HIB antibody isn't common in 'healthy adults', and therefore does this recent blood test result (alongside the IgA elevation) possibly explain WHY I am getting repeat viral infections? If it helps to answer, I have previous evidence of significant 'IgG4 subclass' elevation (twice reference range 'high' level) and approaching borderline low 'IGg3 subclass'. I basically wondered if it was my IgG3 [[just 3% off an actual 'deficient' reference range]] that is probably making me get repeat viral infections. Or, instead this 'HIB antibody' that's reduced which I think is protection against 'Flu' and not other viruses that also presumably cause URTI's. Many thanks again for any help. All the best, *****.

High Blood pressure and swollen legs My 70 year old mother has developed increasingly swollen legs and ankles over the past few years to the point where she is now quite severely disabled and barely able to walk at all. She was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland and also high blood pressure some 15 or so years ago and put on the following medications: Bendroflumethiazide (diuretic) Atenolol (betablocker) Lenothyroxine (thyroid regulator) Pravastatin sodium (lowers cholesterol) About 8 years ago a medical revealed a mild leaky valve in her heart which has been monitored for a while and told that it is not that significant and requires no treatment. Her weight has started to increase quite rapidly due to her increasingly sedentary lifestyle and tendency to overindulge so I would put her in the obese or borderline morbidly obese category now. She certainly sounds very breathless after even a very short walk. She describes the sensation of her legs "giving way beneath her" sometimes. I am trying to understand what the major underlying cause or causes are of her condition. Clearly there are many factors going on though the swelling in her legs seemed to appear after going on the blood pressure medication. Personally I believe that she may not have initially needed the blood pressure medication since she suffers with "white coat syndrome" and her blood pressure was recorded on single assessments. I feel she should have been monitored over a longer period and offered lifestyle and alternative treatments first rather than going immediately for a drug treatment but that is an aside and we are too far down the road to hark back on that! She is reluctant to see anyone about her problems as she is afraid of what might be suggested but I would like to know if you feel there is anything that could help her situation. There are obvious ones such as losing weight of course that needs to come from herself though without guidance on this I can't see her dieting on her own. Any advice would be gratefully received.

High Blood pressure and swollen legs My 70 year old mother has developed increasingly swollen legs and ankles over the past few years to the point where she is now quite severely disabled and barely able to walk at all. She was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland and also high blood pressure some 15 or so years ago and put on the following medications: Bendroflumethiazide (diuretic) Atenolol (betablocker) Lenothyroxine (thyroid regulator) Pravastatin sodium (lowers cholesterol) About 8 years ago a medical revealed a mild leaky valve in her heart which has been monitored for a while and told that it is not that significant and requires no treatment. Her weight has started to increase quite rapidly due to her increasingly sedentary lifestyle and tendency to overindulge so I would put her in the obese or borderline morbidly obese category now. She certainly sounds very breathless after even a very short walk. She describes the sensation of her legs "giving way beneath her" sometimes. I am trying to understand what the major underlying cause or causes are of her condition. Clearly there are many factors going on though the swelling in her legs seemed to appear after going on the blood pressure medication. Personally I believe that she may not have initially needed the blood pressure medication since she suffers with "white coat syndrome" and her blood pressure was recorded on single assessments. I feel she should have been monitored over a longer period and offered lifestyle and alternative treatments first rather than going immediately for a drug treatment but that is an aside and we are too far down the road to hark back on that! She is reluctant to see anyone about her problems as she is afraid of what might be suggested but I would like to know if you feel there is anything that could help her situation. There are obvious ones such as losing weight of course that needs to come from herself though without guidance on this I can't see her dieting on her own. Any advice would be gratefully received.

i had a fall i slipped in shower 9 weeks ago it was late at night , i did not go to hospitial or er i expected it to just pass . i am usually a quick healer i have no history of arthritis before this however as time went on i began to have terrible pain all over hip, back, pelvis area the pain was unbearable . i must have visited the doctors about 7 times up to now , they all said it could not have been my hip as i can walk, is that true? i am to this day in terrible pain in all those areas . i did go to er one night and they where going to send me home with pain killers i asked for a xray of hip they very grudidly give me one x ray of hip only. i know not everything shows up on a x ray as sometimes you need a ct scan or mri my doctor last week sent a refferal to a specialist for me i also know this could take twelve weeks before i see a consultant , i would have thought as this was brought on by a fall i would have got quicker treatment as i dont want to be left with a permanent disa bility . what do you think this could be? i can walk but i am all in pain. is it true if i had a break or a stress fracture i could not walk? also would it benifit me at all going to a private consultant , with a refferal from my doctor , i would certainly be seen quicker at least i do know not neccesarily be treated quicker on the nhs but at least diagnoised , what do you think this is and what should i do , oh pain is always worse if i lie down in bed as any movement getting out of bed is horrendous i am 69 and as i said was quite fit before this maybe a bit of a doggy knee but no pain anywhere am thinking maybe stress fracture , or dislocated hip. or twisted pelvis thank you ******

i had a fall i slipped in shower 9 weeks ago it was late at night , i did not go to hospitial or er i expected it to just pass . i am usually a quick healer i have no history of arthritis before this however as time went on i began to have terrible pain all over hip, back, pelvis area the pain was unbearable . i must have visited the doctors about 7 times up to now , they all said it could not have been my hip as i can walk, is that true? i am to this day in terrible pain in all those areas . i did go to er one night and they where going to send me home with pain killers i asked for a xray of hip they very grudidly give me one x ray of hip only. i know not everything shows up on a x ray as sometimes you need a ct scan or mri my doctor last week sent a refferal to a specialist for me i also know this could take twelve weeks before i see a consultant , i would have thought as this was brought on by a fall i would have got quicker treatment as i dont want to be left with a permanent disa bility . what do you think this could be? i can walk but i am all in pain. is it true if i had a break or a stress fracture i could not walk? also would it benifit me at all going to a private consultant , with a refferal from my doctor , i would certainly be seen quicker at least i do know not neccesarily be treated quicker on the nhs but at least diagnoised , what do you think this is and what should i do , oh pain is always worse if i lie down in bed as any movement getting out of bed is horrendous i am 69 and as i said was quite fit before this maybe a bit of a doggy knee but no pain anywhere am thinking maybe stress fracture , or dislocated hip. or twisted pelvis thank you ******

I have a problem with my left arm. I had a pain in the left side of my neck and now my arm is numb and i can't lift it at all. is this serious?

Dilated common bile duct Hello. I am a 43 year old male and have had bouts of very severe pain over 8 days in the top half of my stomach, just under the strenum and extending over the upper right side and down as far as my appendix, without diahorrea or vomiting which hospitilised me for a week. A week previous to this I had hot/cold sweats and felt very weak and spent a couple of days in bed but had no sniffles, coughs or cold. The pain is much improved and virtually gone although I am on cocodomal and a strong prescribed antacid. During my stay in hospital I had abdoman and chest xrays, blood tests, a ultrasound scan with contrast and a MRI scan. Although the CT scan and blood tests were normal they did find that 1/ my right kidney is extremely small and not working and probably hasn't for a very long time even never and 2/ dilated common bile duct. Having found this out they did an enchanced MRI scan (MRCP) and confirmed the dilated cbd (1.2cm) with calibre change just above the ampulla but with no evidence of pancreatitis or obvious intraductal stones demonstrated, the pancreas and livers were fine. An OGD was then done and satisfactory views of the mucosa obtained. I have been released form hospital with the stated medication but are under a consultant who is having further investigations done in a few weeks which involve nuclear medicine and another endoscope to track it through gall bladder and the duct system. Also I suffer from pericarditis and have a permanent abnormal ECG but my heart has been fully tested with a angiogram and is fine and in addition I had my appendix out 25 years ago. I have to say having tried to read up on this it gets a little scary and frightening so what does all this mean, what could be the cause and respective treatments and what is this nuclear test and what does it entail? Thanks in advance for any info.

I have a problem with pain/sensitivity. Hi, for the past week I have been experienceing a weird pain/sensitivity on my left uppper torso under the armpit area which extends around my shoulder blade at the back and sometimes on the left side of my pectoral muscle. I say sometimes because the intensity of the pain shifts from one place to another in the areas mentioned above. I have been taking strong ibuprofen and this seems to help but the discomfort and pain comes back everyday. It is more noticeable when I move these areas of my body. Can you please help?

Depression and Bereavement My mother died five weeks ago after having a stroke and then a seizure. I have been her carer for a number of years and especially more so since my father died four years ago. Both my parents made wills to try and make everything as easy as possible when they died but when my mother's will was taken to a solicitor they realised it was wrongly worded so they is a lot of problems arising from that especially as I have three sisters who live a long way away. My question is that I have a number of health problems I have been taking Mirtazapine for over a year but they are not helping me now and my GP has prescribed Trazodone I presume to take as well. I also have a lot of back pain caused by arthritis of the lower back facet joints and for this I am on Paracetamol, codeine, and as these are not helping enough Naproxen with Omeprazole. I have just been back to the orthopeadic clinic and they want another scan to see if things have changed in the last two years and whether a fusion operation is needed. I have other things to cope with too and I am finding it so difficult to keep going and scared because I am now on my own and afraid of side effects or what I may do I am so mixed up and it is difficult to find motivation. I have also had a hysterectomy for cancer six years ago. The thing is that my GP has given me all these medications but I am afraid to take them all but I needed help and it gives the impression that I am asking for help then refusing it when it is given which I don't mean at all.

painful heels the soles of heels are in constant pain and sore to the touch

i have a lump in my neck above my collar bone on my left side i noticed ths lump a while back maybe a year or 2 ago never bothered me but now because im worried about it its starting to bother me and hurt me a bit. i went to my gp to be refered to a specialist because i have private health and my gp didnt give me a specialists name but told me i have to find out who i want my self in clementine churchill which i dont understand and my GP wont just give me a name because my insurance needs a name. im very worried im going for an x ray and scan but i want to go and speak again to my gp and see why he isnt making this easy for me. when i get my xray and scan also will that tell me for sure if its cancer ? im very worried. what else could it be.. also can it be cancer when i have had it for a couple of years? could it have started off as just a lump and grown to be cancer?

Anxiety Issues I have issues with Anxiety which I have had from as long as I can remember. I get Anxious very easily, I worry about irrational things like when my boyfriend goes to work is he going to have an accident and die or will he have a heart attack or something unlikely like that. I worry about little things like going to my University lessons and my friends not being there in the class with me, or if I am late will everyone in the room look at me and then I end up not going to my lesson. I would say I am on edge 70% of the day and my worries distract me from doing everyday things, I physically feel butterflies in my stomach when I am worrying. I am also quite jumpy at the sound of loud noises or sirens and I tend to expect the worst. I get angry or irritated quite easily and find the easiest way to deal with this is to self harm. The only thing I could possibly narrow it down to is that my father died quite suddenly when I was 7 and since then I have a constant worry that the people who are important to me in life will dissapear. I am worried about going to see my GP as I don't want them to think I am crazy or just dismiss me by saying there is nothing wrong.

life expectancy my mother is 87 years old and is very frail and has c.o.p.d. and has myelodysplasia and will have to have blood transfusions. How long will she live?

life expectancy my mother is 87 years old and is very frail and has c.o.p.d. and has myelodysplasia and will have to have blood transfusions. How long will she live?

View All  Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Page